The melting mosh pi/ot: extreme music performance in early 2010s multi-ethnic Malaysia

This thesis examines the construction and negotiation of ‘authentic’ extreme music identities in early 2010s Malaysia, a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and fast developing Southeast Asian society. First, it demonstrates that extreme music performance in Malaysia references to globally authenticated models of metal and punk. Second, it establishes that the construction of Malaysian extreme music identity is influenced by pre-existing ethnic markers that contribute to forming ‘sedimented hybrid’, multi-layered identities. This thesis concludes that early 2010s Malaysian extreme music provides an accessible social space where inter-ethnic solidarity and discourses are promoted at the grassroots level.